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Presidential Scholarships

Presidential Scholarships were established in 1984 by then University of Northern Iowa President Constantine Curris to provide significant scholarship support for entering students with records of outstanding academic performance. Throughout the program’s twenty-year history, students showing the highest levels of academic excellence and promise have been recognized and rewarded for their scholastic efforts.

Twenty Presidential Scholarships are awarded each spring to incoming first-year students. Each scholarship package is worth $32,000 over four years ($8000 per year). But there is more to Presidential Scholarships than financial aid alone. The awards carry recognition for academic excellence, as well as the expectation for leadership and service. The following program features are designed to enhance the academic and civic engagement of Presidential Scholars.

First-year seminars

New scholarship recipients participate in scholars-only seminars during their first two semesters at UNI. The seminars are designed to challenge new scholars academically while also giving them an opportunity to establish themselves as a community of learners. The Honors Advisory Board selects Honors seminars from proposals submitted by university faculty. Two seminars are selected each year to be reserved for incoming Presidential Scholars.

Think tank and service learning

Sophomore and junior scholars participate in one-credit hour courses that provide the opportunity to identify and analytically approach a problem or issue affecting the campus or community. During fall semester think tanks, teams of scholars research and analyze selected issues, propose solutions, examine implementation options, and develop plans to be executed during one-credit hour service learning courses in the spring. The courses provide a structured way for Presidential Scholars to grow intellectually while combining their strengths and talents for the benefit of our campus and community.

Honors involvement

All Presidential Scholars are members of the University Honors Program and as such take part in specialized Honors classes throughout their program of study. Scholars can choose from a variety of Honors sections that fulfill Liberal Arts Core requirements, as well as seminars developed specifically for the program. The Honors experience concludes with an individual senior thesis/project guided by a faculty advisor. See Program Requirements for further information on the hours needed for an Honors designation.

Requirements for scholarship maintenance include a provision that scholars make progress toward an Honors designation including the senior thesis/project. In order to show such progress, scholars should achieve a minimum of 9 hours of Honors credit by the end of their sophomore year. The 2-hour first-year seminars can be included in the 9-hour minimum.

Scholarship Requirements

Maintenance of Presidential Scholarships over four years will depend on recipients meeting the following criteria:

• Complete 1st year seminars

• Participate in 2nd and 3rd year think tank and service learning experiences

• Maintain a 3.50 cumulative GPA

• Make progress toward Honors designation including the senior thesis

Scholarship recipients are also members of the University Honors Program. For information on the Honors Program and further details about Presidential Scholarships, visit www.uni.edu/honors .

Maintenance Policy

A high level of academic achievement is expected for recipients of Presidential Scholarships. Each Presidential Scholar falls within one of the following categories:

Regular Status: A student with a cumulative of 3.50 or greater and meeting additional scholarship requirements. It is anticipated that such a student will retain regular status in the following semester. The student continues on scholarship.

Warning Status: A student with a cumulative GPA below 3.50 and/or not meeting additional scholarship requirements. It is anticipated that such a student will make appropriate adjustments to regain regular status in the following semester. The student receives a warning, but continues on scholarship.

Probationary Status: A student with a cumulative GPA below 3.50 and/or not meeting additional scholarship requirements for more than one semester. The student will continue to participate in program activities, but will not be on scholarship. It is anticipated that such a student will make appropriate adjustments to regain regular status the following semester.

Suspension: A student who has not been able to achieve the required cumulative GPA of 3.50 and/or fails to meet additional scholarship requirements following a semester on warning and a semester on probation. The student is removed from the roster and is no longer on scholarship.

It is the hope and expectation that any student who is not on regular status will seek the counsel of the director of the Honors Program or any other appropriate academic advisor as soon as problems arise. Scholarship recipients are students of exceptional potential and every effort will be made to provide assistance with academic or transitional difficulties.

Jessica Moon, Director
jessica.moon@uni.edu
319/273-3175
Last Modified: 9/9/08

University Honors Program
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University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0355